LAST CALL: Sibling rivalry is a win-win situation at SalvationArmy

Last week's commemoration of National Salvation Army Week was a
family affair for two Texans.

Mary Freeman and her kid sister, Beverly Pop, hold development positions
for the Salvation Army in Dallas and Houston, respectively. The work, it
appears, is in their blood. Their parents were Salvation Army
missionaries, and their grandfather was a high-ranking officer. They
spend their days recruiting volunteers, raising funds, and telling the
world that the Salvation Army is a lot more than bell ringers in Santa
suits.

Freeman says she often makes Pop's creative ideas work. It was Pop who
decided to recreate the uniforms of World War I "dough girls,

or
Salvation Army soldiers who cooked doughnuts for servicemen over
campfires. Last May, Pop wore her outfit to hand out Krispy Kreme's
wares around Houston. Last week, she donned it once again to deliver
press kits publicizing summer camp programs. Meanwhile, Freeman
simulated a day in the life of homeless person for Dallas
supporters.

The Salvation Army benefits from the friendly rivalries between the
sisters and their cities. Pop hopes the NFL's new expansion team, the
Houston Texans, will contribute more than the Dallas Cowboys, for
example. "The smartest thing that the Salvation Army could ever do was
put us in a competitive relationship,